Work-handling mechanism



Aug.'26, 1941. GRPALME 2,253,576

WORK-HANDLING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 31, 1938 INVENTOR.

GERALD 124mm TTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 26, 1941 2,253,576 WORK-HANDLING MECHANISM Gerald F.Palmer, New K ensington, Pa., assignor to Aluminum Company of America,Pittsburgh, Pa'., a corporation oflennsylvania Application October 31,1938, Serial No. 237,827

4 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a workhandling method and mechanismfor treating articles which are assembled in relatively movablerelationship. More particularly, the invention is preferably directed'to a method and means for supporting such articles during theirtreatment in a liquid bath, such as an electrolytic surface treatmentbath. The method and means of this invention may, however, be employedin numerous other manufacturing processes, exemplary of which are thosemethods which entail the performance of a working step upon objectswhich have previously been assembled in part, or completely, in series,and in relatively movable relationship.

Although the invention has a wide range of useful and economicaladaptation in the manufacturing arts in general, I have elected todescribe it in its association with electroplating and analogouselectrolytic processes.

During electroplating and other electrolytic operations, greatdifficulty has been experienced in providing means for holding, in aliquid bath, articles composed of a plurality of parts seriallyassembled in relatively movable relationship, such as, for example,articles made up of interlinked elements. Since the various parts ofsuch articles are loosely connected, it has been a problem to draw themsufficiently closely together to' insure a definite relationship andelectrical contact therebetween during electrolysis.

This problem has been especially troublesome in the electrolytictreatment of articles of relatively small size, since their light Weightaggravates the difliculty of providing close electrical contact betweenthe catenated parts. This difficulty is particularly noted in thetreatment of interlinked aluminum sliders and pulls used in hooklessfasteners, which as anode in a sulfuric acid solution electrolyte, or infact any other suitable electrolyte, may be given a protective coatingof aluminum oxide. Such articles cannot effectively be supported duringthe operation in ordinary electroplating baskets or freely suspendedupon wires or hooks within the bath, since their light weight preventsthe pulls and sliders from drawing together in close electrical contact,and from adhering tightly to their support, all of which disadvantagesreact to produce an inferior surface treatment.

The object of this invention is toprovide an improved method and meansfor supporting objects which are assembled in series in relativelymovable relationship during their surface treatment in a liquid. Moreparticularly,

the object of this invention is to provide a method and means wherebyarticles composed of interlinked members may be held with the memberstightly drawn together so as to permit the flow of electrical currenttherethrough during electrolytic treatment thereof.

The particular object of this invention is to provide a rack adapted tohold assembled metal, such as aluminum, hookless fastener sliders andpulls with positive electrical contact therebetween during anelectrolytic coating operation.

Specific embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawing, inwhich:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an improved rack embodying the featuresof the invention as utilized in artifically providing a protectivecoating of aluminum oxide upon the surface of aluminum sliders and pullsfor fasteners of the hookless type;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a modification of theapparatus of this invention as used in supporting chain-links duringelectrolytic treatment thereof.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a rack suitable for supporting typicalhookless fastener, sliders and pulls during their electrolytic treatmentis shown, which preferably consists of a suitable angle bar or member Ihaving a plurality of spring-wire clips or hook members 2 associatedtherewith. The leg 3 of the angle bar is provided with a series ofapertures 4 disposed in spaced relationship along its free edge toreceive one end of the aforementioned resilient hook members 2, whilethe leg 5 is gradually beveled or tapered, as illustrated at 6, alongits free edge, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. Thespring-wire clips 2 are preferably each formedcentrally into a loop 1,and at their free ends into hooks 8 and 9. The hook 8 of each wire clipis adapted to be inserted into one of the apertures 4, whereby thespring-wire clips are detachably attached, or held in place, on theangle bar I. Connected by any suitable means, such as rivets or thelike, to the angle bar I is a hook-shaped strip l0 which serves tosupport the rack I from any suitable worksupporting rod l2, therebypermitting the angle bar to be immersed within an electrolyte or otherdesired surf ace-treating bath.

The hookless fastener sliders and pulls, respectively, are designated byreference numerals l3 and H. As is customary, the pulls M are eachprovided with an aperture 15 within which sliders I! are each mountedastride the tapered edge 6 of the angle bar. Thereafter the springwireclips 2, and the pulls it, movably attached or connected to each of thesliders, are drawn together under the influence of the spring clips 2which are inserted within apertures ll of the pulls. It will be seenfrom this manner of mounting the relatively movable assembled elementsl3 and ll of a hookless fastener, slider and pull unit, that the pullmembers M are resiliently retained and maintained in definite positionwith respect to the sliders is, against the influence of spring clipmembers 2.

In the further step of treating the surfaces of the elements l3 and H inan electrolytic bath, an electric current is passed through the work rodl2, through the hookless fastener elements l3, l4, spring members 2, andrack I, all of which are constructed from electrically conductivematerials. All of the aforementioned elements may form the anode in theparticular electrolytic treatment herein described, the bath container(not shown) serving as the cathode, as is also well known in this art.The positive strain applied through the medium of the spring clips 2upon the sliders and pulls insures close electrical contact between theelements I! and I4, and between the angle bar and the spring-wire clips,thus insuring an uninterrupted flow of current and resulting in a highlysatisfactory surface treatment, in this case, the formation of analuminum oxide coating. On completion of an electrolytic treatment suchas described, the spring clips 2 are readily detached from the pulls I lby disengagement of their hooked ends 9, the sliders i3 being removedfrom the rack by overcoming their wedging action upon the tapered edge 6of the bar I.

It will be'seen that the aforedescribed method of electrically treatingthe assembled sliders and pulls of a hookless fastener unit permits theassembly of the pulls l4 and their sliders 13 prior to electrolytictreatment thereof. It is also to be noted that the positive tensileforce exerted by the spring clips 2 upon the pulls l4 maintains thepulls i l in a definite position, with respect to their sliders i3,which is substantially that normally assumed by a hookless fastenerslider and pull unit in its actual use. Moreover, points of contactbetween the support or rack and the members being coated occur where theabsence of a protective coating or subsequent coloring of said coating,when a coloring step has been employed, is least noticeable.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 3 chain-links II havebeen substituted for the slider and pull unit l3, i4. In this particularembodiment of the invention the chainlinks I! are positively andresiliently held in positive relationship with respect to the individuallinks through the medium of two spring clip members I8, the rack I 9 inthis particular instance being provided with apertures 20 along both ofits extending legs. Otherwise the manner of supporting, and thesubsequent surface treatment of the chain-links may be similar to thatdescribed in connection with the preferred form of the invention.

-itself readily to the rack and method of this invention. In surfacetreating processes of this latter type, which do not involve thenecessity of an electric current, the rack does not require to beconstructed from electrically conductive material, any suitable materialbeing satisfactory.

Various modifications are possible in the construction of the rack. Forexample, the interlinked elements of articles being coated may be heldunder tension between the oppositely disposed portions of supportingstructures having forms other than the integral angle bar memberillustrated. Moreover, positive positioning means of types other thanthe spring-wire clips described herein may be used. Since these andother modifications in structural detail will occur to those skilled inthe art, it is understood that the specific forms of the supporting rackdescribed above are shown for illustrative purposes only and that theinvention is not limited to the actual embodiments described herein.

I claim:

1. A rack for supporting assembled sliders and pulls for hooklessfasteners during electrolytic treatment thereof, comprising a memberhaving two angularly and rigidly disposed legs, one leg -of said memberhaving a beveled edge adapted forinsertion within a slider in electricalcontact therewith, and a spring element attached at one end to the otherleg adapted to extend toward said first leg and to hold said pull undertension and in electrical contact therewith, whereby the slider ispositively maintained upon the beveled edge of said leg.

2. A rack for supporting assembled sliders and pulls for hooklessfasteners as anodes to be given a protective anodic coating in anelectrolyte, comprising an angle bar, a spring element, and means forelectrically charging said angle bar, one leg of said angle bar having abeveled edge adapted to be wedged within said sliders in electricalcontact therewith, said spring element being held upon the other leg andadapted to extend toward said first leg and tohold said pulls undertension and in electrical contact therewith, whereby the sliders aremaintained upon the beveled edge of said angle bar leg.

3; A rack for supporting assembled aluminum sliders and pulls forhookless fasteners during surface treatment in an electrolyte, said rackcomprising a member having two ansularly and rigidly disposed legs, oneleg having a beveled edge adapted for insertion within a slider inelectrical contact therewith, and a looped spring eletrolyte, said rackcomprising an angle bar, a nected to a p ll to hold an assembled sliderand spring element, and means for electrically chargpull under tensionand in electrical contact lng said angle bar, one leg of said angle barhavtherewith, whereby the slider is maintainedupon ing abeveled edgeadapted to be wedged within the beveled edge of said angle bar leg.

a slider in electrical contact therewith, said spring 5 element beingheld upon the other leg and con- GERALD F. PALMER.

